By Travis, Loss Control Consultant

Through every loss control visit, one particular hazard can be found in each facility. The hazard that I am speaking of is electricity. With each cord, disconnect, panel, receptacle and connection there are a plethora of hazards that must be guarded. Each of these electrical items have rules that pertain to them and failure to abide by these rules can not only provide the opportunity for severe injuries and possibly fatalities, but also the potential for substantial fines from the MIOSHA enforcement division. During a recent MIOSHA training class, the speakers informed the class that any and all electrical infractions will now hold a minimum $5,000 fine. That is only a minimum, as if they feel that the particular infraction is negligent then the fine will only escalate from there. While the fines are an eye opening factor, the safety of the employees should always remain as our top priority.

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By Donna Motley, Vice President of Claims

We’ve had good days and we’ve had bad days – winter weather that is. About a week ago it snowed 6 days out of 7 days – I know, because I had to shovel the snow! The most recent week, we’ve had a couple days of solid rain and it reached 60 degrees. All in February! What does that kind of weather do to a Claims Department that handles accidents and injuries?

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By Travis Halsted, Loss Control Consultant

While visiting any of our valued policyholders, I am witness to some incredible machinery that complete even more amazing processes. While so much attention is paid to the machinery and the guarding that is required, there are tools that are often overlooked. Within each work area there is often a work bench that is filled with screwdrivers, clamps, pliers, files, and wrenches. In other facilities, a maintenance area may hold axes, hammers, mauls, circular saws, powder actuated tools and pneumatic grinders. With each of these tools there are rules regarding maintenance and testing.

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By Donna MotleyVice President of Claims

The American Diabetes Association reports that as of 2015, 30.3 million Americans (9.4%) had diabetes. Of the 30.3 million Americans, only 23.1 were diagnosed, with 7.2 million Americans undiagnosed. On top of that, 84.1 million Americans (18 years or older) were considered “pre-diabetic”. As of 2015, diabetes was the 7th leading cause of death in the United States; a statistic most likely under-reported.

So what relationship does diabetes have with a work injury? Obviously, work does not “cause” diabetes. But can diabetes “cause” a work injury?

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By Ruth Kiefer, Loss Control Manager, MSc, ARM

Last year was a record year in the State of Michigan for high fall injuries and fatalities related to those falls. Our policyholders were fortunate enough not to sustain any of the noted fatalities, but we did however, have some severe high fall injuries along with other worker injuries related to slip, trip, and fall hazards. In a collaborative effort to combat these types of injuries, the federal government and our state MIOSHA are making efforts to reduce the amount of injuries and fatalities related to high falls along with addressing slip, trip and fall injuries from poorly maintained production floors.

To accomplish this push in safety MIOSHA will be adopting major changes to their walking-working surfaces and fall protection general industry standards. The new ruling, will also be referred to as Subpart D, and will follow the federal OHSA’s updates to this standard.

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All too often we read of crane and rigging accidents that cause death and extensive damage. Crane operators following basic safe hoisting can prevent most crane and rigging accidents. The most important step in any rigging operation is determining the weight of the load to be hoisted. This information can be obtained from shipping papers, design plans, catalogue data, manufacturer’s specifications, and other dependable sources. When such information is not available, it is necessary to calculate the load weight. There are a number of steel weight calculator available online that will help you determine the weight of your load.

Operators must also know the rated capacity of the crane. This is the maximum amount of weight a crane can safely lift. The rated capacity should be marked directly on the beam of the crane. Even though the equipment is suitable for the weight of the load, operators need to consider the following:

• Will the angle of the rigging devise take away any of the cranes capacity?
• Operator rigged the load to the center of gravity of the crane and lift line?
• Are there any sharp surfaces or corners in the rigging that could cause a rigging devise such as a sling to tear? Should padding be used to protect the sling?
• Will the load be under control along the entire path of the lift?
• Should a tag line be used to guide the load?
• Are there any obstructions along the lift path that must be cleared? Can they be moved out of the way?
• Will the suspended load be clear of all personnel?

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By Travis Halsted, Loss Control Consultant

MTMIC is proud to announce that there are several new safety videos available to you on the MTMIC Client Portal. The videos that were recently added to an already extensive streaming video collection include; Bloodborne Pathogens, Walking and Working Surface Safety, First Aid Awareness, Lockout/Tagout Practices and Procedures, and Safety Awareness: Attention to Detail. While these videos can be vital in assisting you in providing a proactive safety culture, it is important to point out that there have been no recent rule changes pertaining to these topics, and these videos were added only as another valuable resource that MTMIC has to offer. If you need assistance logging into the Client Portal, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Allen at (248) 715-0013 or sales@mtmic.com/blog.

By Travis Halsted, Loss Control Consultant

Whether it be a foundry, fabrication facility, snack food warehouse, welding facility or one of the many other industries that MTMIC works with, compressed gas cylinders can be found in the majority of them. Compressed gas cylinders serve a plethora of purposes, but also provide just as many hazards. From oxygen displacement and toxic effects of some gases, to physical hazards such as a ruptured cylinder and explosions, any failure of a cylinder can be catastrophic. It is paramount to understand the pressure that these cylinders are under. If a cylinder has a sudden release of any of the gases, it can become a dangerous missile-like projectile. There have been documented cases of compressed gas cylinders, under the sudden release condition, to have breached a cinder block wall. In other events, vehicles have been destroyed by explosions when the cylinder wasn’t properly secured during transport or if the valve was inadvertently opened. An essential part of working with gas cylinders is to ensure that you have a clear understanding of what gas or gases you are working with. Gases include, but are not limited to; flammable gases, oxygen and oxidizing gases, acid and alkaline gases, toxic gases, cryogenic gases and inert gases. Each of these gases have their own benefits and hazards.

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By Donna Motley, Vice President of Claims

OPIoIDs – Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet, Norco), Tramadol (Ultram). Drugs used to control “chronic” pain. Drugs used post-surgery. Drugs used to control “any” pain. Drugs that can be highly addictive. Drugs that are talked about in the news on a regular basis in relation to an epidemic of addiction in our country. CNBC has reported that approximately 80% of global opioid supply is consumed in the United States. There is much discussion going on about how to control this situation with multiple entities stepping up to the plate to do their part.

The Michigan Workers’ Compensation Agency has made changes to the Statute and Health Care Services to address the situation and save costs in the process. And it’s working!
All medications dispensed in relation to a work related injury are to be filled in the generic form if a generic form is available.

The State of Michigan has instituted a prescription drug monitoring program called MAPS that tracks and monitors controlled substance dispensing. MAPS is utilized outside of the Workers’ Compensation arena as well. If a patient “loses” his prescription, or it is “stolen” – another order cannot be written or filled until the time has expired on the original prescription.

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By Chris Demeter, Senior Loss Control Consultant

The term “robot” readily evokes a mental image to most people. Depending on your age, it could be R2D2 from the Star Wars movies, the Mars Land Rover, or you may have iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner. In 1954, George Devol developed the first programmable Robot. It weighed two tons and was controlled by a program on a magnetic drum. Nowadays, the number and type of robots are changing rapidly.

Industrial robots are designed to move materials, as well as perform a variety of programmed tasks in manufacturing and production settings. They are often used to perform duties that are dangerous or unsuitable for human workers, such as repetitious work that causes boredom and could lead to injuries because of the inattentiveness of the worker.

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By Donna Motley, Vice President of Claims

Have you ever watched people as they walk down a street, or walk through the mall, or sit in a waiting room? Almost everyone has their cell phone in their hand. Notice the position of their head while they stare at the phone screen. Their head is bent forward! This position causes a strain to the muscles and tendons in the neck and shoulders; and possibly the low back. This position changes the natural curvature of your neck. Your neck moves forward, your shoulders round forward or lift up toward your ears and your neck and shoulder muscles spasm (contract). Neck muscles are designed to support the weight of your head, about 10 – 12 pounds. According to the Cleveland Clinic, research shows that for every inch you drop your head forward, you double the load on those muscles. Looking down with your chin to your chest can put approximately 60 pounds of force on your neck. Dr. Dean Fishman, a Chiropractor in Plantation, Florida has coined this condition, this repeated stress injury, as: Text Neck.

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By Travis Halsted, Loss Control Consultant

As companies attempt to reduce costs, one particular item that I have been seeing a great deal of is companies having their own drivers. These drivers provide companies with the ability to pick up and deliver their product, get product from one location to the next, or to send products to secondary operations. While convenient, it is vital to point out that the simple roadway hazards that most commuting drivers only face for a short period of time in a day, are constant hazards that professional drivers face all day.

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By Travis Halsted, Loss Control Consultant

I was recently contacted by one of our customers with a concern that I do not believe many of us think of. This company was concerned whether or not they had the right form of clamp at the tool end of their air hose. This particular company had the worm-drive style hose clamp holding their quick connect air fittings onto the air hose. The worm drive style hose clamp is the clamp that is tightened by using a flat head screw driver or socket to turn a screw that tightens the clamp. This is a common practice among the vast majority of companies that I visit. Upon the correspondence regarding their concerns, the MTMIC Loss Control team spoke of prior MIOSHA inspections and any knowledge of standards regarding hose clamps for air hoses. Through this communication it was found that a prior federal OSHA inspection from 2013 did cite a facility for the wrong type of air hose clamps. In this situation the facility was found to have worm-driven hose clamps that connected their tools to the air hose. The Enforcement Officer found this to be a hazard, as if the hose clamp was to malfunction or loosen, then the employees would be exposed to the whipping action of the air hose. This was cited under the federal OSHA rule 29 CFR 1910.243(b)(2). That rule states that hose and hose connections used for conducting compressed air to utilization equipment shall be designed for the pressure and service to which they are subjected. The company in this particular inspection was cited for $5,500 for 4 instances of this violation.

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Donna Motley, Vice President of Claims 

Owning and operating a business is multi-faceted. Having Workers’ Compensation insurance, required by law, is one of those many facets. Hopefully, most employers rarely have to utilize their Workers’ Compensation insurance. BUT, should an employee be injured in the course of employment, you, as the employer need to be prepared.

So how far does the employer’s responsibility reach? The employer is responsible for providing a safe working environment, for training employees in the proper way to perform their job, for proper machine and facility maintenance and for properly handling a work related injury, should one occur. An employee injury is costly in many ways. An injured employee is affected professionally and socially. The employer’s production and work product is affected. A work injury has a financial impact on everyone involved. The employer has a vested interest in making the employee be the best he/she can be, as the employer will reap the rewards.

Don’t ignore the signs. If a Supervisor walks past a work station and notices an employee stretching their back, rubbing their shoulder or playing “windmill” with their arms, that should be the employers first clue that something may not be right. Ignoring “signs” rarely benefits the employer. It is doubtful the situation will resolve itself or just “go away”. On the contrary, what usually happens is the employee will start treating with their primary care physician for the medical condition. Then when it starts to cost the employee a lot of money, or the condition does not resolve, or someone tells them they should file a Workers’ Compensation claim, the employee will bring the situation to the attention of the employer. By this time, treatment has been rendered and we would have to obtain all those medical records; suspicion overshadows the entire claim because it is being reported so late and after the employee has received treatment; and we will not allow treatment until the matter has been investigated. This delay in treatment will in turn delay the employee’s recovery and impact work product and production.

While we are not suggesting that a Supervisor “suggest” to an employee that the employee has a work injury, a simple “Is everything o.k.? I noticed you rubbing your shoulder” can go a long way. At that point the employee may admit that he has an injury that occurred outside of work (make note in the personnel file if that is the case); the employee may alert the employer to a machine set up or situation that could maybe be changed to be more ergonomic; and the employee may come away feeling their employer “cares”.

If the employee advises that something he did at work has caused an injury, the employee should be immediately sent to the clinic. Remember, it is not up to the employee to decide whether or not they “want” to go to the clinic if they have reported a work injury. Whether the employee alleges nothing is wrong, an injury occurred outside of work (i.e. they just slept wrong) or there was a work incident, the Supervisor should follow up with the employee later that day, the next day and the next week, and ask if everything is o.k. or if they are having any other issues. Again, ignoring these situations do not make them go away – instead, they tend to “fester”.

As an employer, you should review all employee injuries, your injury logs and/or loss runs to determine how many and what kind of injuries are occurring and where they occur. Then review to see if there are any changes that could be made so injuries do not continue. Your Loss Control Consultant can be a tremendous help in this regard. Remember, we are a team, all working toward the same goal – a safe and productive work environment! We all benefit!

MIOSHA has reported 9 fatalities that have occurred in 2016 so far, 7 of them were from a “fall”. That would equate to approximately one fatality per month. I know we are a good sized state, but I think that is a high number, particularly in this day and age when we are so much more aware, informed and safety conscious.

MIOSHA reported 29 fatalities for the year 2015. That would equate to more than two per month. In looking at the statistics provided by MIOSHA, age does not appear to be a factor, nor does industry. Of the 29 cases reported, 7 cases involved the employee being “struck by” something, 11 cases involved the employee being “crushed” by something, 6 cases involved the employee “falling” and 3 cases involved inhalation and/or burns.

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By Chris Demeter, Senior Loss Control Consultant

Have you ever experienced an eye injury at work or maybe at home while using that new weed whacker? The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that every day about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment. Using the right eye protection can lessen the severity or even prevent many of these eye injuries.

Chemicals or foreign objects in the eye and cuts or scrapes on the cornea are common eye injuries that occur at work and even at home. Other common eye injuries come from splashes with grease and oil, burns from steam, ultraviolet or infrared radiation exposure, and flying wood or metal chips.

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By Travis Halsted, Loss Control Consultant

A vast majority of facilities that I visit each year have a welding operation present. Whether it be a large welding area with a plethora of welding cells or a smaller one table welding work station, there are a great deal of potential hazards present whenever welding operations are being completed. This is evident by the $119,803 MTMIC has spent on claims since 2009 that were traced back to welding operations. Of the 82 injuries reported, the injuries range from burns, strains, foreign bodies, inflammation, lacerations, and punctures. As there are a great deal of factors that go into these injuries, one particular item can often be found to be a root cause. In many cases, the lack of proper personal protective equipment was found to play a large role.

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By Ruth Kiefer, MSc, ARM Loss Control Manager

As the economy is slowly rebounding and we are adding newer equipment to our production floors, you must ensure that you are taking a closer look at the machine guarding prior to the production phase. During my recent MIOSHA Level 1 Training class, I learned a very important point with regards to guarding equipment; if you have two pieces of equipment that perform the same job, the old one must be guarded equal to or better than the new piece of equipment. If it is not, then the violation for machine guarding becomes a SERIOUS and WILLFUL offense.

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